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Retail Store Management

Notes One retailer is of the opinion that, if any retailer tries to cut back during the hours the store is not
open, so does the public… they don’t see the impact. If a group of 10 normally comes in an hour
early to straighten up, cut that back to a group of six, and it makes a big difference, yet the
customer doesn’t really feel it.
In this unit, we will discuss importance of security measures, reasons for shrinkage and methods
and ways to reduce shrinkage. We will also focus on scrap and surplus management.

11.1 Importance of Security Measures

To operate a successful retail business, we need to create a secure environment – for our customer,
our employees, and the store itself. Retail security includes many aspects: keeping intruders out
and keeping track of who comes in; protecting merchandise from shoplifting and employee
theft; responding to smoke; fire or other emergencies. Security – the word can bring to mind two
diametrically opposing images: blissful safety, or a world of suspicion and fear. For co-op
retailers, security should conjure images of careful and prudent protection of our member-
owners assets. All too often, co-ops jeopardize their hard earned assets – cash, inventory, and
equipment – through either naivete or neglect.

As a retail store owner, you know it’s important to ensure that your retail space is safe for both
customers to shop and employees to work. There are a variety of ways in which a workplace can
become unsafe, including inattention to detail or inconsistent floor checks that may lead to
injury or illness. While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has safety
recommendations for workplaces, your retail store is only as safe as you keep it. There are a
variety of factors to keep in mind when evaluating the safety of your store.

Task Study various recommendations provided by OSHA and make a summary report
of that.

11.1.1 Safety and Security Factor Considerations in the Retail Store
Design

The basic design thumb rules of designing any space stay the same: safety and protection should
never be overlooked. Many a time, these factors are negated or given second place, depending
upon the commercial utilization and viability of that particular space. These important factors
should be taken into account right from the drawing board phase of the design.
Let’s take a brief look at some of the major areas of security concern and evaluate how your
store’s operation measures up to common standards. Remember: even though your store is a
co-op, you are susceptible to theft. Experienced criminals as well as “first timers” may see you
as an easy target. Don’t be caught off guard!

11.1.2 Fire Safety and Fire Hazards

Fire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that
may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of an
uncontrolled fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive in
and evacuate from affected areas, or to reduce the damage caused by a fire. Fire safety measures
include those that are planned during the construction of a building or implemented in structures
that are already standing, and those that are taught to occupants of the building.

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